a certain
idiom
1
—used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe
She has a certain elegance about her.
The house has a certain charm.
2
formal
—used with the name of a person one does not know
In 1889, a certain Mr. Kelly made a large donation to the church.
Examples of a certain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And perhaps gets a certain Heisenberg off its case.
—
Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Certain men who look a certain way and have a certain pedigree can behave imperfectly, to say the least, and still be confirmed into a position of power that has long-reaching consequences.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
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Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Certain men who look a certain way and have a certain pedigree can behave imperfectly, to say the least, and still be confirmed into a position of power that has long-reaching consequences.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
Cite this Entry
“A certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20certain. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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